1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithography simulation method and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the miniaturization of mask patterns (mask layouts), it becomes more difficult to secure the accuracy of lithography simulation.
For example, there is a large difference between a simulation result obtained by a mask thin film approximation model and a simulation result obtained by accurate calculation based on a mask topography effect (for example, see “Proc. SPIE2005, vol. 5754, p. 383-394, March 2005”). Therefore, in order to perform a highly accurate simulation, an accurate calculation should be carried out based on the mask topography effect. That is to say, an accurate calculation should be carried out based on an electromagnetic field near a mask. However, when an accurate calculation is tried to be carried out based on the mask topography effect, the calculation amount becomes enormous. It is, therefore, difficult to perform the highly accurate lithography simulation using a simple method based on the mask topography effect.
With the miniaturization of the mask patterns (mask layouts), lithography simulation based on mask production dispersion becomes important. It is, however, difficult to perform the highly accurate lithography simulation using a simple method based on the mask production dispersion.
Conventionally, it is difficult to perform the highly accurate lithography simulation using a simple method.